Hashtag Accountability: How Social Media can Influence African governments
Open Access
Author:
Ibuaka, Danielle
Area of Honors:
International Politics
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Elizabeth Claire Carlson, Thesis Supervisor Michael Barth Berkman, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
social media african governments accountability responsiveness twitter platform blue for sudan say no to xenophobia sudan south africa nigeria say no to social media bill
Abstract:
This study addresses how social media platforms affect governments through a comparative case study based on two citizen-led initiatives. The question, which is “How can social media influence African governments in being responsive?” focuses on two cases—Sudan and South Africa—to show the effects that online discussions using collective hashtags can have in the political sphere. The findings show, through a qualitative analysis, that social media platforms (1) come before traditional media in spreading information on political issues, and (2) allow citizens to communicate with government officials and receive a response.
